We finished last time with my second Shaktipat experience that actually registered on my visual centers. ‘Automatic Pilot to the Self. Maximum Thrust’ seemed to appeal to many readers. As a word person it certainly had an impact on me.

Many of my friends and students have expressed interest in how I became involved in all the things I seem to be involved with, and who were the people who taught me what I seem to know.

Since I know that many of my friends and ex-students read every article on this blog it seems fair, in a series about metaphysics and spirituality to give a summary of that history for them. If anything I write seems outlandish, outrageous or just weird, you are probably right. Take it or leave it and read on until something makes sense to you. Nothing is ever wasted.

Eckhart Tolle wrote The Power of Now years ago. Mine has a copyright date of 1999 and I have bought and given away many copies since then. I have read thousands of books on matters spiritual, philosphical and magickal over the years but when someone gave me the Desert Island book question I said that the only two books I would need would be The Power of Now and the Complete Works of Shakespeare. The querent was horrified that I didn’t pick The Holy Bible.

In the 1980's I was in the Siddha Yoga movement and on speaking terms with some of the swamis. One story of the dozens I heard stuck with me, and Shirley and I, then known as Siddheshwari and Vaman respectively, have found it very cogent as the years go by.

Muktananda had a big ashram in the Catskills and it was there that one of the swamis had a most disturbing dream. He dreamt that his leg was damaged very severely, beyond hope of repair. The dream was so vivid and real that he woke up sweating and went down for his swami breakfast in a disturbed state.